A while ago we conducted a debate about the legality or not of an Inversiya (Latvian) owned IL-76 that was flying around Africa professing to carry the only Design Buro approved IL-76 pax/cargo combi confirguration. The aircraft was contracted or leased to a South African company ADA Gold who specialised in providing flying for SA Defence Force peace keeping operations in Africa.
This matter was contentious as tender requirements to perform these flying services seemed to have been formulated and prescribed around this specific aircraft's unproven combi configuration.
As was to be expected a member/contributor on the forum going by the name LAK, who is/was also a crew member on the aircraft was keen to defend this unfounded claim. He even boasted that this configuration was acceptable to the South African and Australian CAA's.
During this debate one or two forum members such as Dionysis was quick and keen to deride me as wanting to be the social conscience of the forum, rather than considering the irregularity of the situation.
Since this specific debate on the forum, which we all know is monitored by many CAA obersvers, these tender specifications have been amended to in future require and allow only cargo flights on
cargo configured IL-76's.
As a matter of fact, shortly thereafter IL-76 YL-LAK allegedly "lost" an engine in Entebbe somewhere, and has in the mean time dissapeared completely off the scene. Rumour also has it that matters in general at Inversiya are not going too well, and that Latvia as a newish EU state, Inversiya now with their IL-76's are battling to meet stringent EU regulatory requirements.
For those critics who were happy to accept and defend dubious air safety practises, especially the "experienced" one's and who believe/d that Africa deserves such double standards, - sorry to have dissapointed you!
We are working hard to get our house in order and appreciate all the help we can get.